Medical Affairs Departments Takes Charge of Thought Leader Development, According to Cutting Edge Information
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwire - May 15, 2008) - According to a recent study by
Cutting Edge Information, 40% of organizations put their medical affairs
division at the forefront of developing their thought leaders. The report,
"Pharmaceutical Opinion Leader Management: Cultivating Today's Influential
Physicians for Tomorrow," examines the ways that pharmaceutical companies
are developing and managing thought leader relationships
(http://www.PharmaOpinionLeaders.com).
Putting medical affairs at the head of thought leader development helps to
ensure that all of a company's interactions with influential thought
leaders closely adhere to the strict OIG guidelines. To encourage full
compliance, many companies have built firewalls to eliminate any direct
links between the commercial side and the scientific side of the business.
In turn, companies have also shifted thought leader development efforts
away from commercial teams and into medical affairs departments.
Companies of all sizes, including pharmaceutical industry's largest most
influential organizations, are committed to staying within industry
guidelines while interacting with key opinion leaders. "Each
pharmaceutical company is structured differently to best suit its own
needs. However, they are all interested in staying within the boundaries
outlined by the regulatory bodies," says Elio Evangelista, research team
leader at Cutting Edge Information.
"Pharmaceutical Opinion Leader Management: Cultivating Today's Influential
Physicians for Tomorrow" is a study of 41 pharmaceutical, biotechnology and
medical device companies' thought leader management structures, resources,
processes and activities. The report includes detailed segmentation and
funding data collected from top companies, such as Pfizer, Bristol-Myers
Squibb, Schering-Plough and Novartis.
Download a free summary of "Pharmaceutical Opinion Leader Management:
Cultivating Today's Influential Physicians for Tomorrow" or purchase the
report at:
http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/pharmaopinionleaders/index.htm#body